Nature
by Final Hikari
Summary: Genesis Rhapsodos and Angeal Hewley are having breakfast on the SOLDIER floor, like any other morning, when an odd topic comes up in conversation; Angeal’s plants and the insects they attract. Birthday present for Devsash.


Final Hikari: At long last, the---

Genesis: -interjects- --_very_ late…

Final Hikari: -whacks him with keyboard- The birthday present for **Devsash**! A oneshot about Genesis and Angeal, pre-CC, as requested! Hope you like it! Now, Genesis, read and say what I told you to… -elbows him-

Genesis: -rubs head- Why should I after you try to give me a concussion with that archaic keyboard of yours'?!

Final Hikari: -.- Because if you don't, I'll write a crossover and pair you with Lymle. Now read!

Genesis: -grumbles- -rubs head- Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Natasha, happy birthday to you. -reads caption- 'Go to Malaysia and give her a late birthday hug'? What?!

Final Hikari: -.- -brandishes keyboard- You were supposed to sing that, dumbass! Now disclaim yourself so I can get the present started.

Genesis: -rolls eyes- The Final Hikari doesn't own anything from the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII.

Final Hikari: Hope you like it, Natasha!

Nature

Genesis Rhapsodos placed his cup of coffee down on the table with a bored look as he slipped his bookmark into his worn copy of LOVELESS. He glanced up, not bothering to wave, when he was his childhood friend - carrying a large box of doughnuts - approaching.

"Morning," Genesis greeted halfheartedly, pulling his gloves off.

Angeal sat down across from him at the table in the cafeteria on the SOLDIER floor and opened the box of doughnuts. "Good morning, Genesis."

The cafeteria was the same as it was any other morning; since the First Class SOLDIERs were not forced eat with the larger Second and Third Classes, only about two dozen First Class operatives occupied the cafeteria at a time. There was a hum of conversation between the various men eating their breakfasts, though it wasn't unbearably loud like the other two cafeterias. The one used by the lower Class SOLDIERs was as loud and disorderly as the infantry's.

Genesis reached out and grabbed one of the chocolate doughnuts immediately and promptly broke it into two, dunking one half into his mug of coffee. A few of the passing SOLDIERs stared, having no idea why an esteemed First Class had such a peculiar sense of taste. Although there was no denying dunking chocolate covered doughnuts in various drinks was enjoyable - orange juice was one of his personal favorites.

"I take it your scheduled missions are all in Midgar today?" Angeal asked conversationally.

"Eh, I think they plan to send me up north tonight for some sort of ambush. Lazard isn't issuing the specific instructions until noon."

Angeal nodded, extracting a plain doughnut from the box. "I have a few training missions with Zack to day. There's some suspicious activity from a group of monsters in the wasteland I want to see him try his hand against."

"Taking the puppy out of the simulators? Is he really ready for that?" Genesis questioned, mouth full. "I thought owners only took their pets out and about after they were housetrained. Did you buy a leash? There are some nice, genuine leather ones on sale at one of the department stores in Sector 6."

Angeal stared blankly for a moment before shaking his head. "Who would waste money on a leash made out of _leather?_ There ones made out of other materials for much more affordable prices."

"Leather is stylish," Genesis retorted.

"Or at least that's what those fangirls of yours' seem to believe."

"Hmph. Remember who on the SOLDIER floor has _two_ fan clubs. You only have one, my friend. Thus, it is not your place to condemn what I do," he said, waving a half eaten doughnut for emphasis. He blinked, thinking of the glory of his two fan clubs, before something occurred to him. "Also…you'd better do something about those plants in your room."

Angeal smirked slightly and leaned back in his chair. "Those plants represent nature," he explained matter-of-factly, using a tone he probably exercised when explaining things to Zack. "Some of us converse with nature to hone our spirit and honor."

Genesis returned the stare dryly. "And some of us are getting bugs in our rooms because of those blasted things."

"Come on," he reasoned, a bit stubbornly. "Don't you remember? We used to have bugs in our rooms all the time when we were kids."

Genesis shuddered, remembering one such occasion in his childhood where insects and technology created a great inconvenience. The circuit board in his _very expensive_ computer and ceased to function, and when he very attentively opened the device up, he learned what caused the sudden malfunction.

A spider so large he honestly had no idea how it worked itself inside his precious computer had taken up residence between his disc drives and the processor, making large, thick webs wherever it pleased and relieving itself freely atop the device's various components. He doubted it had lived very long once he started using the computer, but due to the console's age, it had been unable to endure a spider wrecking havoc within. He never knew such tiny creatures could so easily put him out several thousand Gil.

"That's why I hate them," Genesis affirmed, snatching the third and final chocolate doughnut for himself. "And the past? It can stay here. We're in Midgar," he added, leaning back in the chair and balancing it on the back two legs. "We're not supposed to have nature here."

"Nature has a calming effect on the body and mind," Angeal said as he shook his head disapprovingly. "And that's something you certainly need, Genesis."

"There's nothing _'calming'_ about waking to up a friggin' beetle on my pillow," the slightly younger SOLDIER growled contemptuously.

"Don't be silly, we both know it flew in through the window."

"Flew in through the window my ass, it came from-"

He was quickly interrupted when his cell phone rang. He frowned slightly and pulled it form his pocket, glaring at the outer to screen to see who was bothering him when he was eating his daily double chocolate doughnuts. He frowned slightly when he saw it was Lazard and clicked the side button to silence the ring.

"Should you really be ignoring the Director?" Angeal asked, raising an eyebrow doubtfully.

"I'm not on the clock. If I got paid to eat doughnuts, I'd be more cooperative, but until I can clock in _before_ breakfast, they're not disturbing me."

"…But you _do_ clock in before breakfast," he remarked.

"Whatever," Genesis dismissed, "don't change the subject. We were discussing your plants. Exactly what do you mean by _'converse with nature'?_ Does that mean you sit and have _conversations_ with the potted plants on your windowsill? They say talking to oneself is a sign of insanity."

"I don't talk to myself. I discuss serious matters with the nature I surround myself with. You should try it, it might even help with your pyromania."

Genesis' left eye twitched ever so slightly. "For the thousandth time, I can't help it materia with the fire element are so useful. Ifrit and Phoenix are second only to the might Bahamut. And imagine how amazing a fire breathing Bahamut would be…"

"…I rest my case."

Genesis shook his head abruptly. "Whatever. But talking to oneself is certain a sign of insanity. You should discuss it with the Shin-Ra psychiatrist."

Angeal stood up and closed the box of doughnuts, pulling it out of reach of his childhood friend, who instantly reached across the table to attempt seizing the box, but to no avail. In fact, all he really accomplished was knocking his cup of coffee over. The spill came dangerously close to LOVELESS, but he looked over and rescued the novel before the dark liquid could stain the material cover.

"Time to get to work," Angeal announced, tucking the still half full box of donuts under his arm as he headed toward the door.

"_Hey!_" Genesis hollered, waving LOVELESS for emphasis. "Come back here! I'm entitled to two more powdered doughnuts!"

Angeal continued to stroll toward the exit at a leisurely pace. Genesis muttered a curse under his breath and jumped to his feet, running after his friend, and, at the moment, most prominently, the thief of his doughnuts. Not that he cared it was always Angeal who paid for their doughnuts.

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A young woman in a Shin-Ra kitchen crew uniform, armed with paper towels and disinfestations spray, rose from her seat and entered the cafeteria. Genesis Rhapsodos and Angeal Hewley had just left; the earlier almost always left a mess in his wake.

She adjusted her rubber gloves as she walked between the tables assembled in the spacious room, nodding curly and greeting the SOLDIERs that acknowledge her presence with a brief greeting or wave. She reached the table as the infamous twosome were exiting, apparently caught up in a disagreement about doughnuts. Genesis was struggling to pry a crushed box of doughnuts from his friend's grip, but without luck.

She turned to the table and, as anticipated, a cracked cup and a large puddle of coffee remained on the table. She tore a few of the paper tolls off from her roll and put a few to catch what dripped on the floor as she used a few more to try up the mess. She wiped toward the center of the table, frowning slightly when she saw it was full of crumbs.

Who on _Gaia_ dunked doughnuts in coffee?

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Final Hikari: This was pretty fun to write, actually. XD As some probably guessed, the conversation was from the one in Crisis Core. And as I doubt anyone guessed, Genesis' story of the spider actually did happen, only in reality and to me. XD The computer was getting really old, so I suppose it wasn't really the spider's fault, but this is fiction. :p Might as well make the most of my experiences. …That put me out close to two thousand USD. DX

Genesis: …So why do I have to be your victim?

Final Hikari: :D Because there isn't a person more fun to torment. And just what are you still doing here? -waves keyboard- Get flying, you have a hug to deliver!

Genesis: Woman, you're crazy if you expect me to fly across the Atlantic Ocean to go hug someone!

Final Hikari: You could always cross the continent and fly over the Pacific, if you prefer.

Genesis: …That'd take even _longer._ What do you take me for, a fool?

Final Hikari: My editor sees you as worse than that. Now, go! Also, Genesis' mention of a beetle on his pillow is reference to **Dark Queen Come To Krynn's **"Scarabaeus Inferio" series. Go check it out, it's excellent. :D


End file.
